Identification device



May 10, 1932. D. H. ROBERTS IDENTIFICATION DEVICE Filed March 16, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet IN V EN TOR. flrmonfflfier/r,

A TTORNEYS.

May 10, 1932. H ROBERTS 1,857,822

IDENTIFICATION DEVICE Filed March 16, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR: k amp; A fiJar/J,

BY I

A TTORNEYS.

Patented May 10, 1932 i UNITEDfST-ATg nERM oNT n. RoBEn'rs, or Lone BEACIi. CALIFO NIA rnnnririoa'rion nEvIoE Application fi1e 1Ma1-cli 1a, 1931. Seria1'No'.5 23,14 8.

This'invention has relation to a device for personal 1 identification. More particularly my object is to provide, within'a' smallandfxfi convenientcasing, such instrumentalities as 5 are required properly to identify persons.

To this end, my invention resides in the combination hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the appended drawings of which: Fig. 1 isa side elevationpartlyinsection of a structure embodying the invention, I

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the structure with parts broken away for the sake of clear-- ness,

F ig.-3;is a rear elevation of thedevice with parts of the casing broken away in order to instrument thereby to leave an invisible'imexpose the interior mechanism, and

Fig. 4 illustrates part of the heat element ofthe structure. Y

Finger print identification is becoming the accepted means of identification, not only for the purpose of criminal records,but

also in hospitals for the purpose of identify- 'ing new born babies, in banks for the iden-- tification of signatures, andin fact in every line of business- My invention is basedupon the finger print principle. Forthe purpose of making finger prints, it is customary to employ an ink pad against which the personto be identified is directed to place his hand or finger, whereupon heis required to press the 'hand or finger against a piece of paper upon which part of the ink picked up is important features of identification. In ordeposited. I v

For the purpose of criminal records such procedure may be acceptable, but in civil life it is objectionable to leave a deposit of ink on theskin after the imprinthas been. made. In the device of my invention, which I am now about to describe, an invisible printing no disagreeable odor. After imprinting, it

i for effecting such development forms. part of the present invention; VlVhile the police require impressions of all fingers, the thumbs and palm of the hands, it is generally only fluid is employed, the remainder "ofv which quickly evaporates after the imprint has been made leaving no discolorationof the skin and is necessary to develop the print and means" this I shall hereinafter, for-the sakeof I simplicity,mere1y refer to the finger, :or' a ngenl.

The device of my invention comprises three main divisions: -:A grooved table, 1, in front,

a c'entral moistening aperture','2, and a heating device,'3,intherear. 1 I

The operatlon of my lIlVQIlUOIl 18 very simple. A check or other instrument in con;

'necti'oirwith which finger print identifica tion is desired is placed on thetablel. The

person, 'whose finger print is required, is requested to run hlS finger over a grooved roller 3 'of'the moistening mechanism and then to press his'finger againstfthe surface-of the print on the instrument. The operator then places'theinstrument within the developing "mechanism 3, whereupon, in a few seconds,

shown in Figure 2. 'When making the imprint, the person 'is' requested to place his finger directly above this groove and to press the paper into the groove. This is done, not

onlyfto obtain an imprint of the face of the finger, butalso of the sides, thereby obtaining imprints of the two deltas of the finger, which have been found to be two of the most der to, secure such imprint on a flat surface, I

it is necessary to roll the finger on the paper,

but this is "undesirable because a clear imprint cannotsatisfactOriIy be obtained in such'a manner'by the layman,'and is very awkward.

The moistening mechanism comprises the aforenamed groovedjroller 3, which is hung to rotate'on a sh'aft'5, of a fiuid'reservoirb, by means of a pair of flanges 7, risingfrom the sides of said reservoir-to support the shaft 5. In the reservoir is set a wick 8, eX-

tending fromthe bottom to the periphery of the roller 3' and curved't-ojfit the shape of the groove '10'of this roller. When the roller is twirled bythe thumb to absorb some of the moisteni-ng liquid, a small quantity tube, thereby of this liquid is deposited on the roller by means of this Wick. A second Wick 9 may be employed in order to absorb a suifieient quantity of liquid. These Wicks are made from fine sponge rubber and, when first placed in the reservoir, have been previously immersed in liquid of the same kind and caused completely to absorb such liquid. i

It is to be noted, that the aperture in the top of the reservoir, through Which the Wicks project, must fit very tightly around the wicks in order to prevent leakage of the liquid. i

In the top of the reservoir, is drilled a very small hole 11, and the reservoir is provided with a small domeshaped cap 12, COVBIl'Dg'I: this aperture. From the top of this dome: extends a small tube 13 downwardly along the side of the reservoin This may be termed a breather tube, and it functions-,to adjust the air supply .W-ithin the reservoir to the level of the liquid, that is, as liquid issdravvn out of the reservoir, is permittedfto en-t ter throughthe tube and, when due to a rise 1 in temperature, the liquid'expands Within the reservoir, air is free to' escape through. the

throughthe \vicks8 and 9-. V

In handling a. small structure of this character, it is often turned on its side,'o'r turned.

upside down, and it, is important that no liquid shall escape from thereservoirwhen handled in such-manner. The breather tube acts as an air seal when the device is inverted 1 and for this reason, efi'ectivel y prevents leakage of the liquid. What llttle liquid may find its Way into the cap 12, is free to re turn into the reservoir ivhenthestructure- I is again set on lts feet.

It is important that only-a verythinfilm that line sponge rubber is best adapted for this purpose.-

a third element, in theshape of a scraper 14,. made out of soft rubber and. placed behind the Wick 8-.-

, Such scraper effectively. aids in distrihuh ing the liquid evenly overt-he surface of the roller. The reservoir .6 is fastened on a plate 15 and this plate is, by rivets; 16, permanently.

seated in the casing of the device completely to enclose the reservoir and roller. This is. necessaryin order to prevent anyone from In order to re-;

that it has been tampered with After an imprint has. been made on the surface of the document to be identified, this.

I document is inserted Within the groove 20 of the developing mechanism 3. A pair of heating elements, 21 and 22am placed Withreventing Waste of liquid.

Under certain conditions, I, have, moreover, found it desirable to add to handle, and the temperature shoivn in Fig. 4.. lVithi-n there are seated the above named heating elements 21 and 22, compr sing rectangular frames 27, around each of which a suitable heating coil, or filament 28 is Wound.

The electrical connections to these heating elements are diagrammatically shown to include a switch '29 and a battery 30. In actual practice they are, of course-,fco1'1nected fto-plug into a socket o-fthe house current. The support for the heatingelem'entsisshown mounted on a plate 32, by means of a pair of bolts 31, and the plate in turn is shown fastened to the casing of the structure by means 'of screws This construction permits of removal of the heating elements for the; purpose of repairs.- It is important that a. certaln uniform degree of. heat is maintained within the developing mechanism in order to develop the imprints. If insuiiici'ently heated, no development will take place; if overheated, the document will be scorched audits utility destroyed. \Vhile the heating elements may be designed to maintain a certain degree of heat, while the current assing through the elements remains uni orni, it is necessary to provide for variations due to fluctuations in this current, and this I. accomplish by per n-ittmg a current of air to pass up-throug'h the developing mechanism,

not only in the space between the heat elements, but also through a space I provide between the support for the heat elements:

and. the outer casingof'the device. In order to make this ventilation more efiiective, the plate 32 should be provided with a number j of. apertures 35.. It is important to note that,

because of thisventilati omthe easing does not become heated, it isalways comfortable in, the liquid reservoir is not affected. v

Where imprint of the Whole hand, .or bottom of thefootis required it is,of course, necessary to use a straight roller and flat table. In. such case. a larger machine must be employed. But for commercial identification thedevice, as hereinbefore described, is sufficient.

I claim: v

1. In a device for personal identification,

;a roller, a fluid reservoir, means for transferring fluidfrom the reservoir to the said roller,v an imprint table, and means for dc-. veloping the imprint made on said table.

2- In a device: for personal identification, a grooved roller-,lneans for depositing a film of invisible printing fluid on the groove of said roller, a grooved imprint table, and

means for developing the imprint on a paper placed on said table.

3. In a device for personal identification, a roller, a reservoir, wicks for carrying fluid from the reservoir to the surface of the roller, said reservoir being provided with a breather tube to prevent overflow, a table for a document to be imprinted, and means for developing the imprinted document.

4. In a device for personal identification, a grooved roller, means for carrying fluid to and distributing the fluid over the grooved surface of the roller, a grooved tableto receive a document to be imprinted, and means for developing the imprinted document.

5. In a device for personal identification, a roller, a fluid reservoir, provided on top with a fine aperture and having a fine tube extending from said aperture downwardly along the side of the reservoir, means for raising fluid from the reservoir to the surface of said roller,-a table on which to place an instrument to be imprinted, and means for developing the imprinted paper.

6. In a (l8"i08 for personal identification, a roller, a fluid reservoir, means in said reservoir for feeding fluid to said roller, a table for receiving apaper tobe imprinted, and a heating device within which to place the imprinted paper for the purpose of developing the imprint.

7. In a device for personal identification, a roller, means for feeding an invisible printing fluid to said roller, a table for receiving a paper to be imprinted, a heating device in which to insert the imprinted paper for the purpose of developing the invisible im rint, and means for ventilating said heating evice in order to prevent scorching of the paper and heating of the casing.

8. In a device for personal identification, a casing, a printing fluid reservoir sealed within said casing, a roller hung on said reservoir and seated in an aperture of the easing, and means for feeding fluid from said reservoir to the said roller.

9. In a device for personal identification, a casing, a printing fluid reservoir within the casing, a roller rotatably hung on the reservoir and seated in an aperture of the casing, and means for distributing a thin film of fluid from the reservoir on the surface of the roller as the latter is rotated.

10. In a device for personal identification, a casing forming a reservoir for a printing fluid, a roller seated in an aperture of the casing for rotationby human fingers, and means for distributing a thin even film of fluid from the reservoir over the surface of the roller when thus rotated.

11. In a device for personal identification, a roller, a fluid reservoir, means for distributing a thin film of fluid from the reservoir over the surface of the roller, and an imprint table in front of the roller and shaped to conform to the contour of the finger or fingers rotating the roller.

12. In a device for personal identification,

a reservoir for a fingerprint fluid, a roller hung on said reservoir, means for distributing a thin even film of the fluid over the surface of the roller as the roller is rotated by a finger or fingers, and an imprint table shaped to conform to the contour of the imprinting finger or fingers. In testimony whereof I fixed my signature.

DERMONT H. ROBERTS.

have hereunto af- 

